Frequently Asked Questions

General

So, do you guys just sell Woot t-shirts?

If you mean "shirts with Woot logos on them," then no. If you mean "shirts exclusively about Woot lore like the Bag O' Crap or LeakFrog," then no. If you mean "shirts produced and sold by Woot featuring a wide variety of design styles and subject matter", then yes, in that sense, you might call these "Woot shirts." But the vast, vast majority will not be Woot marketing souvenirs. Believe it or not, the general public's appetite for Woot-logo merchandise is limited.

Wait, what is Woot?

Launched in 2004, Woot is a community of sites where - It's a collection of online stores that - OK, it's more like, uh… look, it's probably just easier for you to read the main Woot FAQ. That adequately captures the mystery and majesty that is Woot.

Browsing & Buying

Is the shirt on the front page the only shirt for sale?

No. But it is the only shirt for sale for $12. After their featured debut on the front page, Shirt.Woot tees move to our Top 20 list, where they'll continue to be available at $15 as long as they maintain their popularity. Once a shirt falls off of that list, it will still be available as a special order, digitally-printed kind of thing at $15 in our All Designs catalog. We also offer a new curated collection of tees (and other items, from hoodies to tote bags) every week in our Woot Plus events. So if you don't like what you see in the spotlight, keep looking - we've gotta have something you wouldn't be ashamed to be seen in.

So the shirts are available forever now?

Yes! Almost! Except in cases of rights issues, special-effect inks (glow-in-the-dark, metallic, etc.), limited-edition designs, discontinued shirt colors, or global collapse, all Shirt.Woot designs will now be available in perpetuity through our All Designs page.

Why are the catalog shirts digitally printed?

The economics of screenprinting wouldn't allow us to keep all of our shirts in print at any reasonable price. We dismissed digital printing for years, but it's made huge strides, to the point where some designs actually look better in digital than screen - especially those with intricate lines, subtle shading, or photorealism. Combine that with the possibility of being able to offer all of our shirts all the time, and it was a no-brainer. Which is exactly the kind of decision that our brains can handle.

Why does it say the catalog is "Closed for the Day?"

In order to make sure we are providing great service we limited the number of catalog prints per day. When we hit our capacity (or "peak shirt" as we like to call it) we close up shop and go fishing. Yeah, we could make a lot more shirts if we didn't go fishing every day, but if we're not fishing every day then we're not living, man. The catalog re-opens for business every day at midnight, so you can always check back the next day for another shot at your shirt.

When can I expect to get my catalog order?

We shoot to ship all catalog orders in 3-5 days, but the shipping estimate at checkout time will give you the best idea of when your particular stuff will arrive. Spikes in demand, holidays, etc. could affect the shipment time.

How are the Top 20 ranked, and what is the Day of Reckoning?

Shirts are ranked by a rolling average of daily sales, excluding the debut day, over the last 28 days or as many days as the shirt has been available. Every Monday at noon, we drop the lowest-sellers (the shirts ranked #21-27) off the Top 20 list and move the latest crop of new shirts into the fray. That's the Day of Reckoning. Several blog posts throughout the week keep you updated on the progress of the Reckoning. Or just listen for the sound of bells tolling... they toll for tees...

Design & Production

Who's making these t-shirts?

Woot Tees are 100% cotton blank shirts. The designs are printed at Woot's own printing facility in our Carrollton, Texas headquarters. Although the people who make them do sweat occasionally, Woot Tees are produced in sweatshop-free conditions.

Who's designing these t-shirts?

We're constantly recruiting experienced, talented designers who don't mind ruining their good name by being associated with us. Each day's shirt description includes a little bit about that day's artist, including links to their other work. If you like their stuff, you can check out what else they're up to. Otherwise, some of our shirts will be designed by our in-house staff. Also, each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we'll sell the winning t-shirts from our weekly design Derby (more about that below).

Can I design a t-shirt for Shirt.Woot?

If you're one of those experienced, talented t-shirt designers we were talking about, check out our submission page. Tell us about your previous design experience, and include some samples of your work. We'll take a look at every design and try to get you a response within a week!

How do I get paid?

In blood and agony. Or, if you prefer, in dollars. Whether you choose our exclusive or less-exclusive contract, you'll be paid a flat fee for the featured day and a commission for sales after that. We pay most US residents using Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit is also available to many of our International artists. If you're not in a qualifying country we can also cut you a check.

Before we can pay you, we'll need you to do some paperwork, and we're not talking about origami. If you're a U.S. citizen, we'll need a W9 so we can rat you out to the Feds. If you're from the rest of the world we'll need a W8 to let the feds know you're not required to pay US income tax. Either way, we're not withholding any tax, so it's up to you stay square with Uncle Sam, or Johnny Canuck, or Vladimir Putin, or whoever the mythical embodiment of your country is. Read the instructions if you think that will help for both the W8 or W9.

When do I get paid?

Jeez, you get right to the point, don't you? Checks are distributed by the 15th of each month for any sales occurring in the previous month. In other words, if your shirt sold in January, we'll send a check by the 15th of February. We'll combine first-day and commission payments when possible, so don't freak out if the amount you receive doesn't match the number of shirts you've sold on the day you get the check.

Why do I get paid?

Um…because you designed a shirt we sold.

Who do I get paid?

Now you're just being annoying. Next question.

How does copyright work?

You always own the copyright on the design, but in some cases of an exclusive design, we'll decided to file a formal copyright to protect your design from all those intellectual property pirates (and ninjas) that are lurking around the Internet. Don't worry, our filing this copyright doesn't in any way alter your ownership of the design. You'll hear from us if we decide to file formally, but even if we don't you're protected. Be sure to let us know at shirtlegal@woot.com if you see an instance of somebody ripping off your Shirt.Woot design. We relish the opportunity to pursue anyone who infringes on your intellectual property. Give us an excuse, scumbags. Just give us an excuse.

The Derby

So how does a typical Derby work?

Every Thursday at 12:00 pm CT, we'll announce the t-shirt design theme of the week. On
Friday at 12:00 pm CT, we'll open the floor for submissions. Woot users will
vote for the shirts they'd like to see sold on Shirt.Woot. Be prepared for fierce campaigning. Mud will be
slung. Skeletons will be dragged out from your closet. The weak will wither under the strain. The following
Wednesday at 12:00 pm CT, we'll stop accepting new submissions; the following Thursday at 12:00 pm CT, we'll
close the voting and tally up the results. The top three (3) designs with the highest number of votes will
be deemed the first-place, second-place, and third-place winners, respectively. The winning first-place
t-shirt design will generally be sold on the site the very next day, while the second-place and third-place
t-shirt designs will generally begin to be sold on Saturday and Sunday (except in certain cases, see below).
The Honorable Mention t-shirt designs will generally be sold beginning Monday. In one week, your design
could go from idle pixels on your screen to a full-fledged, real-life Shirt.Woot tee. We hope you can handle
the psychological and physical demands of your whirlwind fame.

What does "typical" mean?

We may run more than one derby in a week to give our artists more opportunities get their great designs in front of customers and to use derbies to help select other product types like hoodies, totes, journals, etc.

Multiple Derbies in a week? That's crazy. How will it work?

Keep in mind, this won't necessarily happen every week. Here's a handy chart to help you understand what the scheduling might look like.

Day of Week*

Single Derby Week

Two-Derby Week

Thursday

Theme Announced (voting for previous Derby Ends)

Two themes announced

Friday

Submissions and voting begins

Submissions and voting begins for Derby #1

Monday

Voting & Submissions as usual

Wednesday

Submissions End

Submissions and voting end for Derby #1 and Submissions and Voting begin for Derby #2

Thursday

Voting Ends

Submissions for Derby #2 end

Friday – Sunday (midnight)

1st – 3rd places sell on Shirt.Woot

1st – 3rd places for MainDerby sell on Shirt.Woot. Sales for mini-derby will usually start the following Monday.

*All times noon central unless noted

If we run more than one derby in a week which are different from the typical derby that we described before, then we'll make sure that you have all of the details that you need about those derbies, like when winners will be announced, # winners and honorable mentions and prizes. Those details will be found on the derby announcement page as well as on the blogpost that we have about that derby.

If there are multiple derbies, then when will the winners be announced?

It'll depend but we'll specify the date when the winners will be announced. For example, if we run two derbies in a week, we'll probably announce the winners of Derby #1 on the Monday following the end of voting for that derby and then designs would go up for sale on the next Monday

Who can vote in the Derby?

Woot users who have previously made at least one purchase at any Woot site are eligible to vote. See, we don't want people to create multiple accounts and stuff the ballot box. And we also want to make sure the winning designs are actually ones that our regular users would like to see. This restriction might seem anti-democratic, but voter fraud and prank voting are worse. And like we said - all you need to vote is one purchase on your account record, ever, at any Woot site. Even Bags O' Crap and LeakFrogs qualify.

How many times can I vote in the Derby?

Qualified Woot users can click the "I'd Want One" button for as many designs as they want, but only once per design. And you can revoke your votes at any time before the close of voting by clicking "Take It Back" in the same location where you previously clicked "I'd Want One". Wait, does that make sense? OK, yeah, we think it makes sense. We think. Also, those who submit t-shirt designs are prohibited from obtaining votes by any inappropriate means, such as offering prizes or other inducements to Woot users. These types of votes, or any automated or other improper votes don't count.

What's this "Fog of War" nonsense? Why can't I see the vote totals for the top four entries?

In the heat of battle, the vote totals of the nine leading vote-getters are hidden in a cloud of dust, smoke, and blood. We expect this to make the whole race more dramatic, and to keep pranksters from trying to game the vote. But more importantly, since we're planning on selling the top vote-getting shirt each week, letting you see the winner would mean 1 shirt of every 7 we sell would be known in advance. And that wouldn't be much fun, would it?

Will Shirt.Woot really produce and sell the design that gets the most votes in a given week?

Generally, yes. Unless:

We determine that the design contains elements created and/or owned by someone other than the designer or Woot, or that would otherwise infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties (such as trademarks or logos);

We determine that the design's content is offensive or obscene;

We determine that the design defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies;

We determine that our staff and equipment cannot produce the design due to technical or physical limitations;

We determine that the designer, or someone else, cheated to rig the number of votes received in this design's favor or otherwise received votes improperly;

We determine that design is not exclusive to Woot - i.e., the designer (or a designate) has previously produced and distributed this design, or one substantially similar;

We determine that the design is in violation of Woot's policies and practices in some way other than those specified here.

T-shirt designs that run afoul of these guidelines can be disqualified, if we feel like it. Additionally, we reserve the right to make changes to any design for production purposes - for instance, reducing 7 colors to 6, or changing the shirt color if it's one that we don't have access to. If you're a designer who'd be offended by us fiddling with your submission, make sure it follows our technical requirements.

OK, fine, but where can I find those technical requirements?

The Derby submission page will tell you all about colors, resolutions, file types, and other Derby arcana. The designer who reads carefully now avoids heartbreak later.

Let's get to the important part: do the first-, second- and third- place winners get paid for a typical derby?

Of course. What kind of deadbeats do you think we are? Generally, the designers of the first-, second- and third- place entries that we sell will receive $1,000 each for day one sales, plus $2 for every shirt sold after the first day by Woot. By participating in the Derby, you're agreeing to this as your sole compensation if we sell your t-shirt. The specific details around compensation that you'll receive if your design ends up being one of the winners are found in the terms and conditions that you agree to when you submit your design for a Derby.

Someone appears to be breaking the rules of the derby. How do I rat them out?

If you spot a t-shirt design submission that appears to have been borrowed, copied, shamelessly stolen from some other source, or you believe a design infringes on the intellectual property rights of a third party, you can report it to your friendly derby-meisters by going to the offending design's vote page (by clicking on the design image) and clicking the red "TATTLE ON THIS" button in the upper right corner. When tattling, don't forget to provide specific examples or links to the original work.

How do I delete my entry?

We all make mistakes, especially you. So we'll give you 24 hours from the time you submit your design to remove it from consideration. After that, it's all ours. We do this so our voters can be reasonably sure their votes and attention won't be wasted on t-shirt designs that vanish at the last minute. We know, it sounds weird, but you wouldn't believe some of the stuff we've seen in this job. We've aged like twenty years since the first Derby. The things people are capable of…

Do I still own my t-shirt design?

All designers will retain ownership of any t-shirt design submitted in the Derby (even if your design was selected as a winner or Honorable Mention), however, by participating in the Derby, you grant to us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable, unconditional and transferable license to sell, edit, modify, add to, delete from, reproduce, modify, copy, publish, post, display, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse any t-shirt design submitted.

I was honored with an Honorable Mention…now what?

"Now what?" "Now what?" Now you've got a new lease on life, that's "now what". If your design was selected as an Honorable Mention, we will generally offer it as a t-shirt starting Monday, and we will generally pay you $2 for every shirt sold by Woot. By participating in the Derby, you're agreeing to this as your sole compensation if we choose to sell your Honorably Mentioned t-shirt. The specific details around compensation that you'll receive if your design ends up being selected as an Honorable Mention are found in the terms and conditions that you agree to when you submit your design for a Derby.

Our Release?

We will not be held responsible for any late, misdirected, incomplete, undeliverable, garbled or stolen t-shirt designs or votes; or for any typographical, printing, human, mechanical, electronic, network, computer, or other errors relating to or in connection with the Derby such as errors or problems that may occur with the administration of the Derby, the processing or judging of t-shirt designs, the incorrect uploading of a t-shirt design, the determination of the winners, the tabulation of votes, or in any other Derby-related materials.

We are not responsible for lost, interrupted or unavailable computer, network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), satellite, telephone, cable transmissions or for electronic, website, telephone lines, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or telephone malfunction or error, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, including inability to access any website associated with the Derby.

We may disqualify anyone from participating in the Derby or winning if we determine that such person is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Derby by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other participant. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE DERBY MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK ANY AND ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. We also reserve the right in our sole discretion to cancel or suspend any portion of the Derby should any cause corrupt the administration, security or proper execution of the Derby.

Sponsored Derbies

Once in a while we host sponsored Derbies! Check back from time to time.

Ordering & Shipping

Why are the shirts so cheap? Aren't all-cotton, sweatshop-free tees usually more expensive?

Yes, we do pay more to have Woot Tees made without sweatshop labor. No, they're not refurbished (good idea though, we'll look into that.) We simply have this compulsive need to sell cool stuff cheap. Much to our economic professors' chagrin, Woot staff still can't figure out this whole supply-and-demand thing.

What size should I buy?

Before you give us your credit card number, you really, really need to consult this sizing chart. And then maybe go another size higher than that. They tend to run smaller than the typical shirts, with that streamlined cut that looks so good on 19-year-old hipsters. If you prefer the tentlike, billowing t-shirts so common these days, you'd better overestimate the hell out of your size.

Can I buy shirts of different sizes in the same order?

Yes. After you take the plunge and click "I Want One," do some math to figure out the total number of shirts you'll be ordering. Then specify how many you want of which sizes. If you want one large, one medium and one small, click ‘I Want Three' and then select the sizes. But remember, you can still only place one order per day, for a total of three shirts, so choose wisely.

What's the deal with shipping?

In the lower 48 states, slow shipping is on us, via FedEx SmartPost. That's our "$0 shipping" option. If you're cheap and patient, just let SmartPost do its thing, and your shirt should be in your hand in 5-10 business days. If you're wealthy and impatient, we'll ship your order FedEx overnight for our normal $5 shipping cost. Orders in by noon will be shipped that day. Orders placed after noon will be shipped the next business day. Choose your option on shirt.woot, and the site will tell you when you can expect your shirt to arrive. All orders to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico will be shipped SmartPost for free. International orders will always be shipped via the local equivalent of SmartPost for $5. Got it? Don't blame us if you're one of those people who don't bother to read things.

Did you say international orders?

Yes. Well, technically, we wrote it. But yeah, Shirt.Woot is the only Woot site that accepts and fulfills orders to Canada and the other far-flung chunks of the planet listed in this blog post. We can't offer the same options as we offer to our Stateside customers. All orders ship via the local version of SmartPost, FedEx International Mail Service, and we have to charge you $5 for it. FIMS will hand the package off to your local postal service, who will complete the delivery. Unfortunately, this service does not offer a tracking number. Which is too bad. But at least we pass the savings on to you.

How long do international orders take to arrive?

We expect most international shipments to take from 3–4 weeks, with many arriving sooner. If you haven't received your order within 5 weeks, please contact us through our Support page. And if you want to pop down to the local tobacconist, pick up a couple of Cuban cigars, and send them to us in a plain brown package, we won't tell U.S. Customs.

What if my overnight order doesn't arrive on time?

Not even we can control everything: volcanic eruptions, military uprisings, highway banditry, and simple mistakes can keep your shirt from getting to you on the promised day. Delivery attempts count — if we try to deliver your shirt and you're not there, that's on you. Contact us through our Support page, and if we determine that you're right, we'll refund your shipping charge. Woot regrets that we cannot go back in time and make things happen differently.

I don't like my shirt. Will you buy it back from me?

If your shirt is defective, or if we sent you the wrong size, or we sent you some other shirt by mistake, let us know through our Support page. If you just realized you don't look good in orange, or you decided not to check the sizing chart before you placed your order, well, our impulse is to say that you got yourself a new washrag.

I missed a shirt I wanted to buy. Can I still buy it?

You can, assuming you can find one at a garage sale. Or on eBay. Or probably dozens of other places. You all are a resourceful lot.

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